dreamshade
by Asteriia
Summary: Wendy finds herself poisoned by Dreamshade, and Peter finds himself dealing with a girl who would rather choose death over being bound to Neverland for eternity. ...Too bad it isn't for her to decide in the end.


**AN: This was rather popular on my A03 account, so I figured I'd share it here also. Also, I was heavily confused what genre to put this as.**

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It happened within the blink of an eye.

Wendy had managed to escape the make-shift cage, racing through the forest in hopes of finding some way off the island – never mind the fact she had resided here for decades and knew such a thing was impossible without Pan allowing it.

She made it as far as the precipice of some craggy rocks before she came to a halt, cheeks flushed and chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. From such a height she could see the entire island, moonlight reflecting off the waves of the ocean in the distance.

The view could almost be considered beautiful, had she not been a prisoner confined here for years on end. (She gently fingered one of the buttons upon her gown, the only semblance of a reminder from her original life back home).

"Having an evening stroll, are we?"

Sucking in a sharp breath of air, she twirled around, eyes falling upon a narrow figure leant against a tree trunk and staring passively at the ground. A moment of silence followed between them, before he turned his head towards her, heart sinking as she berated herself for thinking she could run away so easily.

At her silence, he gave a short chuckle, lazily strolling towards her. "Maybe you'll think twice next time, once I put you in a cage overhanging a cliff." He gave a restrained smile, anger bubbling beneath the surface of his expression and causing her to swallow - an angry Pan was not one to trifle with if you cared for your own well-being.

Closing the distance between them until he was but a breath away, he offered a twisted smile. "Now, let's return shall we?"

Fingers grasped around her wrist, tugging her sharply forward as he began to drag her along. His grip pained her, causing her to automatically try and jerk herself out of his grasp. "Wait—"

Dark eyes flashed as he span around to face her, unexpectedly releasing her wrist and causing her to stumble aside. What she hadn't accounted for was the presence of Dreamshade planted there beside her. There was a resounding sound of tearing as her nightgown ripped at the sleeve, followed by a sudden flare of pain upon her shoulder.

No sooner had she righted her balance and returned to standing, did her eyes meet Pan's, who was staring at her with surprise which soon melted into a dark, unforgiving look.

Blinking, she followed his gaze towards her shoulder where a dark stain now marred the material of her sleeve. Lifting a hand, she pressed it against the tear in fabric, pulling it away a moment later to find them coated in blood.

She'd been cut by thorns.

Thorns of a Dreamshade plant.

Eyes widening in horror, she lifted her head to look at Peter who remained staring at her injury with narrowed eyes. His gaze slid towards her face, lips pressed together.

"I…" Her voice faded away, unsure what to say. What could she do, afterall? She was resigned to death now. There was no other option.

The only possible positive outcome from this was at least Michael and John would be free from Pan's commands now…

"Come with me."

"Huh?" Breaking out of her thoughts, she found Pan grabbing her by the arm, the fellow boy suddenly dragging her forward once again. And, despite her questioning, he remained in silence, the only sound coming from her own shallow breathing as they paced through the woods.

It wasn't until he'd forced her along to the very top of Dead Man's Peak – by which time, the pain from the poison was excruciating and had her gritting her teeth – that Wendy realised Pan's intentions, and instantly began resisting.

Ripping her arm free, she stepped back as he continued to walk forward, the many branches and leaves magically parting before him to reveal the life-saving spring of the island. As he turned to face her once again, she stared in horror.

"You mean… to bind me here forever?"

"Actually, I intend to save your life." He repeated, a smile surfacing. "If I were you, I'd be a bit more thankful."

"No..." She murmured, repeating herself a moment later, but louder. "No! You only wish to keep me alive so my brothers will be kept under your control."

His smile vanished as she spoke, no trace of amusement or play evident. "Drink from the spring, Wendy."

She shook her head, feet moving backwards.

His eyes narrowed, a hint of warning slipping into his voice. Some of the nearby tree branches quaked, a warning of his impending temper. "Wendy…"

"I won't." She declared, placing as much finality behind her words as she possibly could. Ignoring how his expression darkened, she turned and broke into a run – or, she would have, had Pan not materialised before her.

Bumping into his chest, her head snapped up, meeting his stormy gaze and drawing in a quick breath. Attempts of escape were blocked as he grabbed either shoulder, causing her to wince in pain at the irritated injury.

"I won't drink from the spring." She repeated, eyes meeting his own unwavering. "I refuse! I—"

All sound ceased in the clearing abruptly, the moon disappearing behind clouds and sending the two figures plummeting into darkness.

A moment passed, and then another, eyes squeezed tightly shut as Wendy Darling found herself bound to the spot, with lips forcibly pried open by Pan's own.

Clouds drifted, moonlight once again piercing down. In the same time, Wendy roughly shoved Peter away, drawing in a sudden rush of air as she back pedalled until at least five feet of distance stood between them.

It didn't matter though, she was too late.

Droplets of water escaped down her chin which hadn't made its way past her lips, cheeks inflamed from embarrassment and humiliation at what had transpired. To use such a sordid tactic!

"Despicable." She whispered, staring at him with horrified eyes.

He simply smirked arrogantly at her response, lifting the back of his hand to wipe away excess water from his mouth. (And to think, those very lips had been upon her own but a while ago).

With a triumphant gleam in his eyes, he turned his back towards her. "Come on, we're returning to camp."

Wendy remained where she was, teeth clenched together and eyes burning with unshed tears.

That had been her first kiss.

She had always thought such a thing would happen when she older, more grown up. At the very least, she had hoped it would be an enjoyable experience! Not something forced, and devoid of any emotion but calculated precision to gain something against her wishes.

The wound on her shoulder had completely disappeared, as had the pain – but neither of that mattered now.

She was bound to Neverland, lest she wish to lose her own life. And while she had been tenaciously prepared to let herself fade away from this world due to the poison shortly before, she wasn't entirely sure if she was brave enough to knowingly commit what could only be suicide by leaving this realm.

How many more things would Peter Pan steal from her, before he was satisfied?


End file.
